Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said on Tuesday he is resolved to settle a longstanding territorial dispute with Russia at an annual rally calling for the return of all four Russian-held islands off Hokkaido in northern Japan, the Kyodo news agency reported. "We'll continue to make steady and determined efforts to move ahead with negotiations," Noda said, stressing the need to sign a peace treaty with Russia. The four islands - which Russia calls the Southern Kurils and Japan calls the Northern Territories - has been the subject of a territorial dispute between the two nations since the end of World War ...
Amanda Knox's Italian lawyer has filed an appeal of her slander conviction in Italy, a Knox family spokesman inSeattle said Monday. In October, an Italian appeals court overturned the young Seattle woman's murder conviction in the 2007 death of her British roommate in Perugia. But the same court upheld Knox's conviction for slander — for falsely accusing bar owner Diya "Patrick" Lumumba of involvement in the slaying. Lumumba was freed after two weeks in prison for lack of evidence. Knox later said she was "manipulated" during her lengthy police interrogation. An appeal of the slander conviction was filed Monday, Knox family spokesman Dave Marriott confirmed. He doesn't know when the Italian ...
The Dutch railway will remain 'vulnerable' during wintry weather but Dutch Rail (NS) and track operator ProRail did not help matters during the current cold snap by the late introduction of schedule adjustments to cope with the conditions, transport minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen told parliament in a briefing on Tuesday. The NS and ProRail assumed on Thursday of last week that there would be three to five centimetres of snow. When the forecast was increased on Friday morning to between 10 and 15 centimetres, it was too late to change the timetables automatically, Schultz van Haegen told parliament. Drivers and conductors ...
Greece can leave the eurozone without damaging monetary union, European digital affairs commissioner Neelie Kroes says in an interview with the Volkskrant on Tuesday. Kroes, a member of the Dutch ruling right-wing Liberal party VVD, is not a supporter of Greece exchanging the euro for the drachma, but says: 'It is absolutely not a case of man overboard if someone leaves the eurozone.' The commissioner is very critical of the new Greek government and says they are not fulfilling their promises. 'Too few spending cuts, too little restructuring,' she says. She says the Greeks should follow the example of Italy where the new ...
Mitt Romney hopes his presidential campaign hasn't ignored Rick Santorum's aggressive attacks for too long, as caucuses in Colorado and Minnesota on Tuesday could reshuffle the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Santorum largely bypassed Florida and Nevada to blanket the two caucus states with criticism of Romney and lay the groundwork among conservatives who have great sway in the process. RivalNewt Gingrich praised Santorum's strategy as shrewd even as he signaled he had no interest in exiting the four-way race, which also includes Ron Paul. "I think that Santorum's going to have a pretty good day," Gingrich told reporters on the eve of the caucuses. "He targeted differently than I ...
Glencore and Xstrata agreed an all-share merger worth $90 billion (56 billion pounds) on Tuesday in the industry's largest ever deal, creating a commodities powerhouse spanning mining, agriculture and trading. Glencore, the world's largest diversified commodities tradinghouse, will issue 2.8 new shares for each Xstrata share in a deal they said was a "merger of equals." The ratio is a 15.2 percent premium to Xstrata shareholders compared with its share price last Wednesday before word leaked out about the merger talks, a joint statement said. "A merger between Glencore and Xstrata offers a unique opportunity to create a new business model in our industry to respond to ...
US White House hopeful Mitt Romney aims for another big caucus win in Colorado on Tuesday, as his well-oiled campaign machine works to cement his position as the Republican front runner in the US presidential race. Polls suggest he should triumph easily in the western US state -- where he scored 60 percent in 2008 -- although there is a tighter race in Minnesota, where last-placed Rick Santorum is hoping to snatch a win. Romney's main rival, former House speaker Newt Gingrich, is battling to stay in the race after two heavy losses in a row to the former Massachusetts governor, who ...
As President Christian Wulff remains mired in allegations of impropriety, anti-corruption group Transparency International (TI) has called for politicians to use the case as a chance to open up German politics. “We are very concerned that people seem to be starting to think that all politicians behave like Wulff, and that would be fatal,” Christian Humborg, TI Germany’s managing director told The Local. “I think the Wulff affair is a wonderful opportunity for German politicians to react to the cynical attitude that this is normal, and improve things,” he said. He said the fact that the authorities were investigating whether Wulff and his ...
German Chancellor Angela Merkel threw her weight behind French President Nicolas Sarkozy in his tough re-election battle on Monday, saying the two right-wingers were from the same "political family". Despite accusations in both countries of interference, Merkel used a visit to Paris for a joint Franco-German cabinet session to make clear her support for Sarkozy, who has increasingly cited Germany as a model for France. "We belong to the same political family. He supported me and it is natural that I support him in his campaign," Merkel said during a joint television interview with Sarkozy to be broadcast later on French and ...
Swedish prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt thinks that Swedes need to be prepared to work a lot longer than they do today in order to keep the same living standard as when they were working. “The pensions scheme isn’t based on magic. It is a welfare ambition based on large-scale re-distribution and citizens’ own work. If people think that we can live longer and shorten our work life, then pensions will get lower,” Reinfeldt said in interview with daily Dagens Nyheter (DN). According to Reinfeldt, the expectation to retire at 65 is a problem in Sweden today. He thinks that Swedes may have to ...
Lindsay Lohan was the surprise guest at a New York press conference for John Travolta’s latest project Gotti: Three Generations. The 24-year-old starlet has been rumoured to be up for the role of Victoria Gotti, daughter of the infamous “Dapper Don” John Gotti. Producer Marc Fiore confirmed that he is in talks with Li-Lo but said nothing had been finalised. He described Lindsay as “a terrific actress”. The Mean... [more]
The 250-year-old Østre Porsgrunn Church (Østsiden Kirke) was completely destroyed by fire in the early hours of Monday morning. When the fire was discovered it was too late to save anything, NRK reports. The only hope is that a fire-proof safe behind the altar may have protected a baptismal bowl and the communion silver, both from the year 1760. Pastor Per Johan Wiig, who has served the congregation during the past 12 years, says it is... [more]
POLICE have uncovered an illicit chemical lab and seized drugs and guns in a raid on the suburban home of X Factor winner Altiyan Childs. The flamboyant star’s personal manager, Steve Gold, was arrested in his underpants during the early morning bust last Monday and was later charged over the illegal weapons, which included rifles, pellet guns and a Taser. The Sony Music-signed singer had lived at the Ramsgate home – known... [more]
In 1981, Princess Diana’s uncle made a public statement before her royal wedding to clear up The Question: Yes, she was a virgin. What a difference a generation makes. Today, few people seem the least bit concerned that Prince William and Kate Middleton, set to wed this month, have been living together off and on since their university days. “We live in a modern age and people do all sorts of things before they settle down,”... [more]
Russia on Friday revealed newly declassified documents on Yuri Gagarin’s mysterious death in a plane crash, saying he was likely killed as his jet manoeuvred sharply to avoid a weather balloon. Top Kremlin archives official Alexander Stepanov told a news conference that a Soviet-era commission — whose conclusions had until now been classified — has concluded that this was the most likely cause of his death. “The conclusions... [more]
Six months after the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, Norway is still feeling Beijing’s fury, though a series of retaliatory moves has largely spared flourishing bilateral trade. In December, China blocked Liu from attending the prize ceremony in the Norwegian capital Oslo, where an empty chair on the podium marked his absence. Liu, a former professor who was at the forefront of the 1989 Tiananmen Square... [more]
Mariah Carey has admitted to feeling “vulnerable” as she bared her baby bump for a magazine cover. Following in the footsteps of Demi Moore, Britney Spears and Miranda Kerr, the heavily pregnant superstar diva, who is expecting twins with husband Nick Cannon, posed nude for Life And Style. “I was feeling very vulnerable about taking pictures at all right now, but then I didn’t want to miss this opportunity to document... [more]
Angelina Jolie’s father, actor Jon Voight has admitted he worries about his daughter’s safety when she travels to far away places. “She’s a very courageous person,” the veteran actor said, speaking about Angelina’s trip to meet Libyan refugees on the Tunisian border this week. “Sometimes she goes to places that I prefer she’d stay away from because of the dangers, you know?” he added. “She’s... [more]
Manchester United and England footballer Rio Ferdinand has appealed for witnesses to come forward to help police find the killer of the innocent victim of a drive-by shooting. “I remember what it was like when I was young, growing up in Peckham, having my whole future in front of me,” Ferdinand said in the appeal posted on Youtube. “A promising young footballer, Rio McParlane was a lot like myself. On September 6 last year... [more]
Meg Ryan is to make her feature directorial debut with Into The Beautiful. After three decades being in front of the cameras, the Golden Globe-nominated actress – best known for her rom-com roles – is set to work behind the scenes on the comedy drama penned by Anne Meredith, reported Variety. Details of casting have yet to be revealed, but it is thought there are no plans to include Meg in the line-up at the moment. Producer... [more]
